


Free Hugs

by billie758657



Category: The Maze Runner (2014), The Maze Runner RPF, The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Not Beta Read, Other, Tagging as I go, collaboration from tumblr, needs to be formatted cause asks don't play nicely with paragraphs, okaynewt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 15:21:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3983038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/billie758657/pseuds/billie758657
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*No longer being updated. So sorry!*</p><p>Collaboration between myself <a href="http://hopelesstmrblogger.tumblr.com/">(hopelesstmrblogger)</a> and <a href="http://okaynewt.tumblr.com/">okaynewt</a> on tumblr found on okaynewt's blog under 'hc gally' here: <a href="http://okaynewt.tumblr.com/tagged/hc+gally">(X)</a><br/>-Go follow okaynewt. She's doing a ton of other HC's and she's amazing!</p><p>HC where Gally lost a bet so he has to stand in the middle of a square next to a free hugs sign for a few hours while Minho Thomas and Newt crack up laughing at him from across the street. You're having a rough day so when you see the handsome, muscly, tall boy you can't help but go ' ah what the hell' and make your way over. It's free right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Gally lost a bet so he has to stand in the middle of a square next to a free hugs sign for a few hours while Minho Thomas and Newt crack up laughing at him from across the street. You're having a rough day so when you see the handsome, muscly, tall boy you can't help but go ' ah what the hell' and make your way over. It's free right?

You sidle up to the boy, who is quite clearly trying not to make eye contact and going extremely red in the face. You tilt your head and offer him a smile. “Whatchya doing?” you ask, looking down at the “free hugs” sign the boy is holding despite how much he doesn’t look willing to hug anyone. Maybe  he needed a hug even more than you. You point to the sign and raise an eyebrow, hoping he’ll actually acknowledge you now that you’re standing right in front of him.

You hear someone whistling from across the street. Following his line of sight you spot a small group of boys sitting round a table outside the cafe. He still hasn't answered your question although he has decided to stare at your feet turning a deeper shade of red - if that was even possible. "Friends of yours?" You suppress a chuckle, not wanting to make this any more awkward. He glances up to you then, taking you by surprise, a small smile playing at his lips. "Unfortunately."

You smile at the boy’s response and tell him your name. “What’s yours?” you ask. “I mean, if I’m going to hug someone, I’d like to know their name first,” you explain, smiling again. You look back over at the boys across the street. “So, what did you do? Bet them you could get people to hug you, or?”

Gally laughs and shakes his head. “No. I already lost a bet. This is my punishment,” he admits, looking back down at your shoes. You wish he didn’t seem so embarrassed, so you give him a playful punch on the shoulder.

He looks back up at you, grinning. "You still haven't answered my question." You add casually. "Oh yeah. Gally. My name's Gally." Before you get the chance to pass comment you hear someone shouting over to you both. "Get on with it Gal! Cuddles are good for the soul!" The table erupts with laughter. Gally rolls his eyes. Looking away again, he rubs the back of his neck. "Punishment huh? Should I ask?" You feel your previous mood evaporate as you grin at him

Gally lets out a noise somewhere between a grunt and a laugh. He kicks at the ground and shrugs his shoulders. “It was just a stupid little thing…” he begins to say, and you poke him in the ribs when he trails off, causing him to jump slightly. You grin in encouragement and nod your head, hoping he’ll continue.

“Get on with it Gally! Buggin’ hug the girl already!” another one of the boys yelled from across the street.

You smirk, placing your hands on your hips and raising your eyebrows. “I think we’re going to have to hug soon, or they’ll start a riot.”

Throwing them a quick glance, he nods, confirming your suspicions. You feel your confidence falter slightly, unsure how exactly to go about hugging this gorgeous stranger. It only lasts for a second before you move closer to him and he opens his arms. Smiling to yourself, you step into the space and bring your arms up around his neck as he envelopes your waist tightly. The first thing you notice is how warm he is

You take a deep breath to settle your own nerves, feeling Gally rest his chin on your shoulder and sighing. You smile to yourself, relaxing as you feel the tension leave his muscles. From across the street you hear whoops and hollers and both you and Gally laugh, finally pulling away from one another, both of you scratching at the back of your heads awkwardly and avoiding eye contact. You clear your throat and smile up at him. “So, is it only the first hug that’s free, or is unlimited hugs?” you ask, trying to sound more confidant that you actually are.

He looks back down at your feet before smirking at you. "It'll cost you I'm afraid. You have to let me buy you a drink first. Tonight?" He asks carefully. You groan internally, wishing you didn't have to work late on weekends. Seeing your face drop he adds "Sorry, just know I'd be kicking myself if I let you walk away without at least trying y'know?"

You shake your head, holding up your hands. “No. No, no, no! I just…I have to work tonight, so I can’t get a drink with you,” you explain, and he looks a little less sad, but still skeptical. “What about coffee tomorrow morning?” you suggest. “I’m free then.” You nod your head, hoping he’ll say yes to that. “I mean, I’d gladly go for a drink with you, I’m just not available most nights,” you say with a shrug.

Relief washes over his face. "Sure. Coffee it is." He inclines his head over to the cafe. "That place over there? They serve the best breakfast too - if you want to get some while we're at it that is." You nod slowly, unsure exactly how you went from a free hug to coffee and breakfast but you're not about to complain. "Breakfast sounds good to me." You loose yourself for a moment in the warm smile he gives you in reply.

You shake your head, trying to gain control of your thoughts again, and clear your throat. “Right. So. Breakfast and coffee it is,” you say, offering Gally your hand to shake and then smacking your face with it. “Wow. I can’t believe I just tried to give you a handshake. I mean, we’ve already hugged. And you don’t give someone who asked you out on a date a handshake…” Your cheeks burn red, but Gally just keeps smiling at you in the sweet way, and you relax a little.

"Don't worry about it." he smirks at you, trying to suppress a chuckle. "I think we're past the handshakes though." He adds, winking. He throws a glance over to the table of rowdy boys who seem engrossed in their own conversation. "You sticking around for a while or do you have to go?" You chew the inside of your cheek in an attempt to keep your own smile under control

You kick at the ground and shove your hands into the pockets of your hooded sweatshirt, shrugging your shoulders. “I’m not up to anything, I can stick around,” you say, grinning at him. “But I’m afraid that might deter other people walking by from getting their free hugs,” you say, wiggling your eyebrows.

Gally groans, lolling his head back. “In that case, please, please,  _please_  stick around.”

“I dunno,” you say, teasing. “I mean, this is supposed to be a punishment after all.”

He rolls his eyes at you. "Yeah- Well.. Please? I've been stood out here for a few hours and you're one of the only people to come over. Not to mention that that lot-" He jerks his head towards the street. "- have been giving me all kinds of hell. Be nice to shut them up for a while." You smirk at him, not quite finished your teasing. "One of? So did you ask the others out too or.." You trail off watching him squirm gleefully.

Gally runs a hand over his hair and scratches at the back of his neck. “No,” he mumbles. “Just, um…just you,” he answers, once again staring at your shoes. You let out a laugh and touch his arm lightly, causing him to snap his gaze back to yours, catching you off guard. You pull your hand back and give an apologetic shrug.

“I was only joking around with you, Gally,” you say, giving him a reassuring smile.

He opens his mouth to reply before closing it frowning for some reason. "Excuse me love-" One of the boys slides into the gap between you both. "You forgot this Gally." "Newt c'mon" "No rules are rules." You can't see what's going on until the other boy steps back proudly. Gally scowls, groaning in annoyance. On top of his head, you spot a crudely made daisy chain, sitting like a crown. "Much better." The laughter erupts yet again and you can't help but join in.

Gally’s scowling now, and your laughter dies off. You wonder what king of bet Gally must have lost to get this sort of punishment. You cross your arms, sizing up the guy that produced the flower crown. “So,” you say, addressing him, much to his surprise, but he smiles easily at you, mimicking your stance and sizing you up as well. “Where’s your flower crown then?” you ask, jutting your chin at the boy’s head.

The boy raises his eyebrow. “I haven’t got one,” he says with a shrug. “It wasn’t I who- “

“ANYWAY,” Gally interrupts, obviously not wanting Newt to tell you what sort of bet he and the boys had going on. “Newt, I think your work here is done, thanks.”

"Yes, yes it is." Newt remarks glancing back at Gally before turning to you. "Lovely to meet you." He adds with a wink before jogging back over to the others. You watch him go, deciding that Gally's friend is someone who you could get along with quite easily. "Well if I wasn't interested before I certainly am now." You catch his uneasy look and decide not to push it for now. "We can save that conversation for later though. Nice hat."

Gally shrugs, rolling his eyes up as though he can look at the hat on his head as well. “What can I say, I’m a bit of a fashionista,” he tells you, his warm smile returning now that Newt’s joined the other boys again and you’ve let the bet drop. “So, um,” Gally looked around, not sure what to say to you. “You must live around here then?” he says, looking up and down the street. “Oh god,” he says, a blush rising in his cheeks. “That sounds like a really creepy question, doesn’t it?”

You laugh quietly. "It's alright. Um, not too far from here really. 10 minutes walk maybe?" You squint to yourself trying to judge the distance, unsure if you should give the exact location away just yet anyway. "We're closer to my brother's house than mine really. He left his games console at my place so I had to run it over." You stop yourself, realising he probably won't want to hear you ramble on about it. "What about you?"

Gally listens to you intently, his eyes wide in attention. He nods his head across the street. “Just down that road. I share an apartment with Newt,” he explained. “Newt works at that coffee shop, and I wanted a place close to the university. I’m taking classes there between my shifts at work.” Gally flushed just slightly realizing that he, too, was rambling and that you probably weren’t interested in any of that

So many questions spring into your mind as you listen carefully to everything he offers up. You hold it back, beaming at him instead. "That sounds great Gally" Unable to help yourself you add, "What are you studying?" He studies your face for a couple of seconds before replying, a soft smile on his face. "Just a business management course really. I like the idea of starting up my own business, being self-employed. Eventually anyway." He chuckles to himself.

You smile up at him, reaching your hand up and holding onto the strap of your bag while you’re other hand casually finds its way into your pocket. “What sort of business do you want to open?” you ask, curious. Starting a business was a hug endeavor- your father had his own business and even when he wasn’t working he was working, constantly. But he loved it, and even though you hadn’t known Gally very long, he seemed like the sort that would love it too.

Gally blushes slightly, not used to someone being interested in his future plans. "Well I make customised furniture - with everyday objects - as a hobby. My dad was a carpenter so I'm into making all kinds of things. I work at the scrap yard so I get to take pretty much anything I need from there. We had a house party a while back and a few people asked me to make them stuff. I'd love to make a living outta it if I can." You feel a surge of pride for this boy even though you've just met him

“Well,” you say, shrugging your shoulders just slightly. “Maybe you can show me some of your stuff sometime?” you ask, smiling up at him. People in your town eat up the sort of furniture that Gally’s talking about making, and you’re sure he’d be able to pull it off. He seems determined and passionate, and the fact that he’s taking business classes means he’s damn serious. 

His mouth breaks out into a wide grin. Rubbing his neck again he nods slowly. "Yeah, sure. I have pictures on my phone but Minho took it from me earlier. Part of my punishment supposedly. He'll be changing my personal info on Facebook right now." Pulling his face at the idea, he concentrates on the floor for a moment before looking up again. "So what about you? You said you work late right?"

His mouth breaks out into a wide grin. Rubbing his neck again he nods slowly. "Yeah, sure. I have pictures on my phone but Minho took it from me earlier. Part of my punishment supposedly. He'll be changing my personal info on Facebook right now." Pulling his face at the idea, he concentrates on the floor for a moment before looking up again. "So what about you? You said you work late right?"

You raise an eyebrow, looking over at the group of boys across the street. You nod your head at Gally’s question and say “yeah” before walking away, trotting across the street. Gally hisses your name when he realizes what you’re about to do. You ignore him, a grin on your face as you approach the table. “Hey, guys,” you say, getting their attention. Newt grins at you easily, but both of the other boys look at you as through they’re about to get into trouble. “Look, I kind of want to see some of Gally’s furniture creatures, but he’s told me that someone named Minho took his phone, which has all of his pictures on it.” You look between the two boys who you’ve yet to meet. “I’d appreciate it if you’d give me his phone.” You grin as wide as you can. Newt laughs.

"Told you she was fearless." Newt remarks to the other two boys who are grinning mischievously up at you. You look over your shoulder to Gally who is frowning across the street with his arms folded across his chest. Behind him, a small group of teenagers notice his sign and begin to make their way over. "I'm Minho." One of the boys state casually. "Thomas." The other winks. "*yn." You smile at them. "So Minho, how bout it?" He looks aroud the table considering your request

Newt shrugs, but Thomas vehemently shakes his head ‘no.’ You raise your eyebrow and laugh. “Oh c’mon, you’ve already got him standing with that sign, what’s the harm in giving him his phone back?” you ask, looking over your shoulder again where Gally has been engulfed in a teenage boy group hug, looking none too happy. Thomas perks up slightly at the situation, distracted, and Minho hands you the phone with a smirk.

“Because you asked so nicely,” he jokes, nodding towards Gally. “You can go save him now, if you’d like.” Thomas swivels in his seat and stares at Minho as though he’s been betrayed, and Newt breaks down chuckling.

you take a moment to savour the sight across the street before nodding. "Yeah I might do that." Thomas tries to protest again but Minho cuts him off, muttering something in his ear. Making your way over, you recognise the teens trying to squeeze the life out of Gally. "Hey, it's Chuck's sister!" Sliding in between them, they give you both some room. "Hey boys." You feel Gally move closer to you, deciding that you quite like it.

You grin over at Gally, offering him a wink. “Don’t worry about these lads,” you say, reaching out and ruffling the hair of the nearest one, who looks up at you with doe eyes. “They’re harmless.” You playfully punch another one in the arm and he laughs it off, scratching at the back of his neck, and Gally immediately relaxes now that you’ve got the situation under control. “If you don’t mind,” you say to the group around the two of you, “I’m going to steal Gally back from you lot, okay?” And they nod their heads obediently, trotting off to cause havoc elsewhere in town

Gally raises an eyebrow at you questioningly. You shrug. "I look after my brother when my dad's busy and I let them beat me at Mario kart sometimes." He chuckles gently at the idea. Pulling out his phone from your pocket you add, "This belongs to you." Gasping at you in disbelief for a moment, he starts flicking through his pictures. The first few dozen seen to be Minho and Thomas. You snap your head away when you see something you shouldn't. You can hear them laughing.

You can’t help but smile to yourself and roll your eyes. Gally clears his throat. “Um, right, so, I’ve got, you know, actual pictures of my creations now…” he says, and when you look back to him his cheeks are burning red. You try to smile at him reassuringly, but it doesn’t help very much. He leans towards you, titling his phone so you can see the screen. Your eyes widen as Gally begins to explain how he made the bench in the picture, and then he swipes to a table, and a couple of chairs, and you don’t even notice that the Minho, Thomas, and Newt have vacated the area.

"Wow. Gally these are brilliant." You would never have thought car parts and other random items could make such beautiful furniture. Deciding that he could definitely make a living out of it, you nod to yourself more than to him. "Seriously. I think you should definitely do it - the whole business thing I mean." He smiles shyly. "Thanks." Straitening himself up he asks: "So, you never answered my question?" "Oh, yeah. I just work in a bar." You shrug, "It's not very interesting."

Gally tilts his head. “You work in a bar?” he asks, surprised. You don’t really look like how he’d imagine someone working in a bar to look, then again, Gally didn’t hang out in many bars- he just had television shows and movies to reference.

You nod. “Yeah. Bartender,” you say with a wink. “Bet you didn’t see that one coming either.” You grin. Most people who found out you worked at a bar assumed you were a waitress. People were a lot more impressed when they heard you were able to mix drinks.

He grins widely, "I guess I shouldn't believe everything I see on tv then?" Winking back, enjoying how easy it is to have a joke with you. He sizes you up, trying to decide if you can handle yourself, having heard how rowdy some places can get from his friend. You nod, oblivious. "Nope. It's a decent job really, the hours aren't exactly sociable but the banter is pretty decent most nights. I don't do too badly for tips either." You grin, feeling pretty proud of yourself.

Gally grins. “I’d certainly tip you well if you were my bartender,” he says, his face flushing immediately after he realized what he’d said. You snicker, raising an eyebrow and giving him a look.

“Oh really?” you ask. “Because of my incredible talent for mixing drinks?” You place a hand on your hip and watch as Gally squirms, fighting the urge to laugh. He runs his hands through his hair, shaking his head and muttering about how of course that’s why he would tip you, it wouldn’t possibly be because you’re cute, or, well, not  _only_  because you were cute. And finally you can’t hold it in any longer, and you start laughing, confusing Gally even more. “I was joking,” you finally admit. “I know when to take a compliment,” you explain. “But the look on your face was priceless.”

"And thanks." You add, getting your laughter under control. "You're pretty cute yourself." You don't normally get so carried away when you first meet someone but if feels like you've already known Gally for a long time. The town clock starts chiming and you sigh reluctantly. You didn't want to go but you really needed to get some sleep before your shift - especially if you had any hope of being awake for breakfast tomorrow. "Hey, I'm really sorry but I have to go." You frown at yourself

Gally continues to smile, but there’s a crease between his brows that betrays how he’s really feeling. “Hey,” he says with a shrug. “You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.” He hands his phone back to you. “If you wanna just put your number in there…you can text me later and we can pick where we want to have breakfast, yeah?” You smiles even wider, wiggling his eyebrows. He never would have thought losing a bet would end up resulting in something so great.

You wet your lips, concentrating while you put your number in. Grinning up at him you nod. "Yeah of course!" Handing him the phone back, you never would have guessed that asking for a hug would have turned out so well. It crosses your mind to ask for another before you go. "I'm kinda glad you lost that bet." Your voice is quiet. You feel the heat rise in your face and look away over to the cafe. Finally noticing that his friends have left you add, "Looks like you're off the hook now anyway."

 

Gally shoots you a text from his phone so that you’ll have his number as well, smiling when you admit that you’re glad he lost the bet- like you’d read his mind. Looking across the street, he saw that Thomas, Newt, and Minho had left the area. He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Good. I don’t know what I’d do if any more pretty girls gave me their numbers,” he teased. You laughed, beginning to walk away.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning then,” you say, walking backwards to savor the moment.

Gally grins. “See you tomorrow morning.” And just when you’re about to go out of earshot, Gally yells, “I’m glad I lost that bet, too!”

 


	2. Chapter 2

It takes you longer than normal to get to sleep. Grinning away to yourself, you let the afternoon's event sink in. You're not normally so forward with people you've just met and here you are with a number and a date for tomorrow morning. Nerves prickle through slightly but you shrug them off and get ready for work. If you leave it much later, you won't get a chance to talk about it properly. As you leave, you send Gally a quick message: "That cafe across the road sounded good. Whaddya think? 

Gally was in the middle of beating Newt at Mario Kart when his phone pinged. “Better get that, mate,” Newt says, obviously hoping to distract Gally and gain an advantage. But Gally was not to be deterred.

“Nice try, Isaacson,” Gally says. “But even if I checked my phone, you’d still be coming in second.” Newt rolls his eyes, bumping Gally’s shoulder. “Cheating!” Gally yelled with a laugh.

Minho snatches up Gally’s phone. “Huh, it’s some girl texting you about breakfast,” he says, dropping the phone back onto the couch, and Gally was diving for it before it even hit the fabric.

“That bird from earlier today?” Newt asks, never taking his eyes off the screen. “She was cute. Agree to whatever she’s said.”

And Gally does, texting back: “Sounds great! 10 AM work?”

He doesn't wait long before his phone pings again. Newt and Minho both share a grin as he smiles to himself at your reply. "10 works. :) Hope your friends are being nicer to you!" Newt grabs the phone out of his hands. "Hey - Newt! C'mon. Give it back." Chuckling himself he tosses the phone back. "You tell her that we are the nicest." Rolling his eyes he retorts "I'm gonna tell her how you cheat at mariokart." Texting you back he sighs, hoping tomorrow goes well. "Y'know, she seems great."

Minho crosses his arms, smirking down at Gally. “Aw, little Galileo has a crush!” he teases, jumping onto the couch and poking Gally in the side, jostling Newt and causing him to lose the race in Mario Kart.

Gally shoves Minho away, a blush rising on his cheeks, and now that the game is at a stopping point, Newt joins in with an “Gally and a bird, sitting in a tree–”

“Guys! Stop!” Gally shouts when his phone pings again, but, of course, Minho swipes the phone before Gally can open the message.

“Ooooh, you’re using emojis! It’s getting serious!”

You receive his reply as you reach the back room in the bar. Laughing at the ridiculous amount of emojis he used. Sending your goodbyes you stow your phone and get ready. You spot Teresa rushing about already and decide to tell her about it ater. Stepping behind the bar you immediately get to work helping Zart with the customers. One of the regulars beckons you over. "The usual please babe." If it was anyone else you would have snapped at them. Instead you roll your eyes. "Comin right up Benny."

You grab a pint of Guinness for Ben and slide it across the bar to him, leaning against the bar. It was busy, but you could still carve out some time for Ben. “How was your day, Benny?” you asked, getting busy making another drink for the woman sitting two seats down.

Ben shrugged. “Same old, same old. How about you?” You grin, and Ben grins back at you, his eyes twinkling. “Well, well, well, looks like something interesting happened to you today. Do tell!”

You feel the heat creep up your face as you sort 3 Budweiser's out for the guy on the right. "I may or may not have gotten myself a date for tomorrow." You try to play it down but your smirk gives it away. Ben scoffs in mock outrage "All the hard work I've put in charming the shit outta you-wasted. I'm devastated." You chuckle, playing along with the well versed joke. "Benny you and I were never meant to be. Can't argue with the facts." He breaks out in a grin again. "So? Whats so good about him

You take a deep breath, shrugging as you fill a glass with Cola for a customer at the other end of the bar. “I dunno,” you say, crinkling your nose before walking the glass to the customer and returning to Ben. “He just… he seems really sweet. And he’s kind of cute in this sort of dorky way. And we started talking about school and what we want to do with our futures, and he’s really passionate about what he loves.” You shrug again. “He just seems like a great guy, y’know?”

Ben places a hand over his heart, his face mockingly aghast. “Are you saying I am  _not_  a great guy?” He smirks up at you.

Rippling your eyes, you open your mouth to speak but Zart speaks for you, grinning widely. "Don't worry about it Ben, you've still got the whole ' If neither one of you are married by the time you're 40' thing right? There's still hope." You spend the next few moments laughing, mixing up a cocktail. "Very true Zart, there's still hope for me yet." He winks at you making you snort with laughter. "The amount of lady friends you bring in here? You'll be married by then. Or at least divorced."

Ben lets out a hearty laugh. “Probably divorced,” he agrees. “Several times.” The three of you laugh again, and Zart puts another pint in front of Ben. “Can I also get a Bud Light? I’ve got a friend coming down. He should be here soon,” Ben says, patting the spot next to him. Zart nods and moves to get a bottle.

You raise an eyebrow. “A man friend, eh? Don’t you usually associate more with the womenfolk?” you joke, smiling good naturally.

Ben laughs. “Oh you. This is a friend friend, not a fuck friend, for your information. Something apparently exciting happened to him today that he wants to brag about in person.”

Nodding you hand him over the bottle. "Good that Benny." You go to year him some more about it when Zart puts his hand on your shoulder. "Hey would you go get another load of glasses from the back?" "sure thing." You smile back at him, motioning to Ben that you'd be back out later. He pulls his face. "You'd better come back! He wants to meet the person who threw those two assholes out of the pub single handedly!"

You laugh to yourself as you head to the back, shaking your head. You’d never hung out with Ben outside of work, but you imagined he’d definitely be a fun time. His friend was probably just as fun. You grabbed the glasses from the back, hauling them out front. When you saw Ben’s friend sit down next to him you nearly dropped all of the glasses. “Gally?” you asked, shocked. “You… _you’re_  Ben’s friend?”

He looks up at the sound of his name, having just started talking animatedly to Benny. A similar surprise washes over his face. (Y/N)? You work here?" You both stare blankly at one another for a moment, making Ben and Zart both laugh. "You two know each other by any chance" Ben asks, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not that you know each other very well or anything." Zart deadpans, sharing a look with Ben.

 

Gally clears his throat and chuckles just slightly, his cheeks burning bright red. “Uh, Ben. She’s part of why I came here to hang with you,” he admits. “I, um, was going to tell you the tale of how I got a pretty girl to agree to go on a date with me.” He’s talking to Ben, but his eyes are on you the entire time. You can feel your body buzz as he says these words and a smile crosses your lips until Zart snaps his fingers in front of your face.

“Hey, doe-eyes, you’ve still got a job to do. Set those glasses down and serve some people, okay?” he says good humoredly.

You shake your head, bringing yourself back to your actual job. Blushing slightly, you apologise to Zart quietly and concentrate on the order for table 6. You can't make out what they're saying anymore but you can hear the tone of Gally's voice which does something to your insides. He came to talk to Ben about you, a thought that stumps you to begin with. Teresa comes over to collect the order. "Hey hun. Ooh. Who's Benny's friend?" She asks, a smile crossing her face.

You glance over your shoulder at Gally and Ben, running a hand through your hair and laughing. “Well, actually, I was going to tell you a little later once it had died down, but, um,” you trail off when Gally looks up at you and smiles, a blush rising on your face. Teresa catches it right away.

“Oh shit,” she says, a smile creeping onto her face. “You’ve got a crush on him!”

You turn back around to face Teresa. “I’ve got a date with him,” you clarify. “I met him earlier today and we’re going to breakfast tomorrow. I didn’t realize he was friends with Ben.”

"He's pretty cute." She grins knowingly at you. Looking back over for a second, you realise he hasn't taken his eyes off you. Ben is grinning, talking to him quietly. "Yeah. He is." Your breath catches slightly and you force yourself to concentrate on the order. "Y'know. Benny knows an awful lot about you." Teresa raises an eyebrow. Scrunching your face slightly you realise she has a point. They're probably talking about you right now. You glance over again, feeling slightly nervous. "Ah well."

Ben would never say anything nasty about you- although he might let slip that once the two of you reach a certain age you’d agreed to get married, but that was just a silly thing, Gally wouldn’t take it seriously, right? You lick your lips and resist the urge to run a hand through your hair. Teresa winks at you, “Good luck,” she says before rushing back to her tables.

“Thanks,” you grumble. With Ben preoccupied you’re not sure what to do in the down time. Usually you chat with him and Zart most of the night. You spy Zart at the opposite end of the bar, flirting with some girl, and for the first time since working the bar you feel alone in a crowded room.

Normally, the lull in between hordes of customers gives you a chance to catch up with yourself. Tonight, you just want to keep busy. You wipe down your side of the bar, hoping someone wants to order something soon. "Hey beautiful. If I'd have known that something as pretty as you was behind the bar, I'd have started drinking here sooner." You groan to yourself, not in the mood to be hit on by drunken strangers. "Save it for someone who's interested. Unless you want a drink I don't wanna hear it"

“Babe,” the guy leans across the counter and grabs your wrist as you reach out to wipe down the outer edge of the bar. You stiffen at his touch and the use of a pet name- only Ben can get away with those. “Don’t be rude,” the guy continues. “I said you’re hot. You should thank me.”

You raise an eyebrow. “I think you should let go of me now,” you say, deathly calm, nodding your head to where his hand was still gripping your wrist. A screech of chair against floor catches your attention and you glance over your shoulder. Gally stood from his stool, his jaw set. You could see Ben rolling his eyes. He and Zart knew you could take care of yourself.

"Last chance. Let go." You mutter quietly, hoping that Gally stays put. "Babe, I know you want me. And I want you so-" with your free hand you grip one of his fingers and twist his wrist the wrong way so he slips off the stool to compensate. "Argh you bitch! What was that for? Lemme go!" "No means no asshole! I said I wasn't interested and you should have taken the hint. You dare so much as even look at me in the wrong way now and your sorry ass will be out before you can blink. Got it?

“Okay! Okay!” the man says, nodding his head, and you release his hand. He drops to the floor momentarily before scuffling to his feet and retreating to a table full of other young guys, all of which are laughing. You roll your eyes and turn around to make a face at Zart, having momentarily forgotten Gally was there tonight.

His jaw is gaping and his eyes are wide, and Ben looks like he’s going to die from laughter as he chokes out, “Told you she’s a badass!”

Gally doesn't snap out of it until Benny slaps him on the shoulder. "Relax man." You make your way over, not being able to read his expression "Does that happen a lot?" "Not really"you shrug. "Unless you count last week when that geezer-" "-that doesn't count Benny. The guy couldn't even stand upright. Probably thought I was Zart or something." Frowning slightly, you pull Ben another pint. You feel slightly nervous looking back over to Gally, wondering if you'd just scared him away.

When you give Ben the pint you steal a glance at Gally. You can’t read his face, which is pretty amazing considering all you do at work is read people. “It’s not a big deal,” you say, trying to glaze over the entire situation.

Gally looks away from you this time, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He shrugs, looking back at you and offering a smile. “I mean, it was still pretty cool though,” he admits. He crosses his fingers and smirks at you. “Here’s hoping the date goes well tomorrow. For my sake.”

You let go of the breath you didn't realise you were holding. Smiling warmly back at him you reply casually "I don't go on dates with just anyone y'know. I just have a thing against creeps who don't take no for an answer. You're good." Zart appears behind you. "Don't worry about it dude. If she didn't like you, you'd know y'know?" Been cackles, enjoying himself. "Yeah like the time you dumped a pint over that guys head."

You roll your eyes. “It wasn’t the whole pint,” you say with a little smirk, and Gally starts to laugh. You’re glad the tension has eased from the situation, but you’re still not sure how to continue with the evening. Do you talk with Gally and Ben, like you would if Gally weren’t here? Would that ruin the breakfast date you’ve got tomorrow morning? Luckily, a large group enters the bar to distract you for a few minutes.

Gally finally drops back into the stool, watching you mix an array of cocktails for the hen party. He's caught up in the way you smile effortlessly to the ladies, as though that jerk hadn't ever happened. Benny lowers his voice so only Gally can hear him. "Look mate,I know its not really your style anyway, but don't mess this one around okay? She doesn't need the dramas. I've never seen her even look twice at a guy nevermind the way that she's been lookin at you all night. "

Gally raises an eyebrow, wondering just how much Ben knows about you. “No worries,” he assures Ben, looking back over at you. “I really like her. I mean, not that I know much about her but there’s just…”

“Something about her?” Ben supplies with a grin. “Yeah, I get it. I had a crush on her the whole first year I started drinking here. She’s great. But now? She’s like my sister, so fair warning if you hurt her I’ve got to hurt you. Understand?” And even though Ben winks and claps Gally on the shoulder, there’s a seriousness behind it all.

Gally laughs. “Looks like she’d be the one doing the hurting, Benny Boy.”

Ben rolls his eyes. “Never said she wouldn’t hurt you, just said I would, too.”

Alright, I'll consider myself warned yeah?" Bens face brightens. "Good. You want another?" He adds jutting good chin towards the empty bottle infront of him. "I'd like to Ben but its getting pretty late. I was thinking about heading back soon, up early tomorrow and stuff y'know?" Ben raises an eyebrow. "Sure I can't tempt you?" In the same moment Zart calls across the bar to you, having just finished the order. "Hey, Bruce lee, go for a break." You nod, finishing up.

Gally whips his head around and watches as you clean up a small spill on the bar before heading to the back room. Ben rolls his eyes. “That’s a public entrance and exit back that way, if you’re wondering,” he points out, smiling at Gally and waving him away. He slides off his chair, shaking Ben’s shoulders as he goes, and heads to the back door. Ben and Zart exchange a shrug.

Poking his head out, Gally sees you leaning against a wall, poking around on your phone. He clears his throat to get your attention before stepping fully outside. “Uh, hey,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Sorry… I didn’t realize that this was the bar you worked at…”

You pocket your phone when you realise Gally is standing in front of you, satisfied that Chuck hasn't tried getting in touch. You smile up at him, "don't worry about it, you looked as surprised as I felt. It's not like I told you where I worked anyway. Small world huh?" You add shrugging. "I didn't realise you were friends with Benny so I guess we both found out something new." You chuckle to yourself as Gally takes a seat on the step beside you.  


Gally nods. “Yeah, Ben and I have been friends since grade school,” he says, thinking back to how they’d first met- Gally had been constructing a grand sandcastle, and Ben had come running right through it. Together they’d build everything up again, and from then on out they’d been best friends. “Some of his stories about hanging around the bar are making a lot more sense now that I know you’re the bar tender,” Gally said with a laugh, nudging you with an elbow.

You lean into his touch, nudging him back with your shoulder. "Oh god." You grin at him before rubbing your face, feeling fresher in the cool night air. "don't believe a word he says." You deadpan solemnly. Gally laughs loudly "Well it was mostly about throwing assholes out of the bar and playing games with ice cubes." "Oh. Well that you can believe." You laugh with Gally, glad that it's still as easy with him now as it was earlier. "You'd be surprised what you can do with an ice cube."

Gally raises an eyebrow. “I think I might want to hear some of these ice cube stories,” he says with a grin. You laugh and shake your head.

“Stories for another time,” you say, already feeling exposed. You can only imagine how many stories Ben has shared with Gally about you, not knowing it was really you. “I’m going to have to start asking Ben for stories about you,” you joke, although you’ll definitely ask. Ben loved to tell stories, even if he did embellish a bit.

His eyes widen as he pulls a face at your words. "He certainly knows a few." You nod solemnly. "I think we've both unwittingly given Benny enough blackmail material to make our lives very difficult. Good thing he uses his powers for good right?" You both chuckle at the thought. Realising you're still on break you panic slightly about the time. Without thinking, you reach out for Gally's wrist. Curling your fingers around it you check his watch for the time.

Gally’s breath catches in his throat when your fingers touch his skin. “Crap,” you mutter. “I’ve got to get back inside,” you explain, smiling apologetically. “Although I’m sure Benny’s going to stick around, do you think you will?” you ask hopefully, standing from the stoop and beginning to walk up the steps and into the bar, holding the door for Gally.

Gally concentrates on your face for a moment smiling fondly at you. You look at him hopefully, feeling warmth spread under your skin. "Sure. I can stay for a while longer. If you don't mind anyway." "Nah of course not." You hold yourself back from saying how good company he is, reminded that you did only meet him this afternoon. You settle for a smile instead. As you both go back into the bar, it's beginning to quieten down. "Your turn." You mutter to Zart who nods and finishes up.

You grab a few drinks for Teresa’s table- just bottles of beer, an easy order- and stand behind the bar. Zart’s taken care of everyone for the moment, and you’re left with not a whole lot to do. You poke at the one dirty glass Zart left you, running it through the water and soap and leaving it to dry. Saving you, Ben waves you over. You’d felt too awkward crashing Gally and his conversation, but now that there’s an invite you gladly take it. “Gentlemen,” you say with a smile, leaning against the bar.

"Milady" Ben tips shhh imaginary hat towards you as you lean against the bar. "I forgot to mention earlier that your baby needs a couple of parts before I can fix her up. I'll text you the list- should be able to get then from a scrap yard in all honesty." You groan slightly, hoping that your motorbike would be roadworthy sooner so you didn't have to ask Zart for a ride home all the time. As confident as you are behind the bar, you hated walking home at night alone. "Baby?" Gally asks, confused

Ben laughs. “Chill, bud,” he says, clapping a hand on Gally’s shoulder. “You do remember that I, one of your closest friends, is a mechanic, right?” Ben asks, dripping sarcasm and grinning.

Gally flushes just slightly. “Yeah, of course, I just…” he trails off, having no excuse. “So, what kind of car is it?” he asks you, refusing to look you directly in the eye, which makes you laugh.

“It’s a motorbike, actually,” you explain. “It’s a lot faster and safer than walking home after bar close.”

Gally simply nods, caught up in concern for your safety. "Safer? After what you did before, it seems like you could handle yourself." "Maybe." You shrug. "if one of them wanted to hold a grudge though, I don't like the idea of him following me home though right? Stranger danger" you add wriggling your eyebrows, grinning. "Zart taking you home?" Ben asks casually. "Dunno yet I haven't asked him." At that point the creep from before sheepishly calls you over to order an actual drink

You roll your eyes, heading to the table, and Gally turns to Ben. “Is she really unsafe?” he asks, his eyebrows knitting together in the middle of his forehead. “I mean…I’m assuming she’s the girl you’ve told me stories about- literally tossing people out of the bar.”

Ben nods. “Oh, she’s a tough cookie, but like she said- it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially at bar close. It’s dark out, and a lot of the patrons are a hell of a lot bigger than her- doesn’t matter how tough she is if they catch her off guard.”

Gally’s lips purse together and when you return to the bar to prepare the man’s drink, he spits out, “I’ll give you a ride home.”

Your head snaps round to Gally who had called over louder than he intended. Unable to help yourself, the corners of your mouth twitch into a grin. You motion to him to wait a second while you finish up the order seeing as it's rather long. "Oh man, you've got it bad." Ben chuckles, shaking his head. "I just don't want anything to happen to her." He retorts, not wanting to admit that his feelings have shifted rather dramatically over the course of the day.

Ben snorts, rolling his eyes. “Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that, buddy,” he says with as much sarcasm as one person can fit into a sentence, and Gally feels his face flush. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed. She’s a great girl. Anyone who hasn’t had a crush on her that’s met is an idiot, in my opinion.” Ben nods his head once in decision and Gally laughs.

After delivering the drinks to the table, you trot back over to the boys. “Just so you know, I’m not done her until about two in the morning,” you warn Gally, raising an eyebrow. “You still game?”

He nods quickly. "Yeah, definitely." You look at him carefully for a moment before nodding yourself. "Alright then you're on. But this?" You take his bottle from the bar. "This goes. I value our lives. I'll get you something else if you want on the house." You're not too worried about it though. He's been taking his time with them so he's only just started on his second. Gally grins, surprised you said yes but glad now he knows you'll get home safe. "Deal."

You take what’s left of Gally’s drink and slide it over to Ben, who tips his invisible hat to you with a grin. Grabbing a fresh glass, you fill it up with Cola and set it in front of Gally. “Free refills,” you say with a wink, nodding at a customer that had just sat down at the end of the bar. “Be right with you.” You turn back to Gally. “Thanks, by the way.” You give him a genuine smile, and then you’re off, taking the man’s order and beginning to prepare a Bloody Mary.

You're engrossed in your own thoughts while you prepare the drink. Wondering if you should be more concerned about spending so much time with someone you've just met. He seems lovely, but you decide to interrogate Benny if Gally goes out f for some reason just to be sure. Ben wouldn't let anything happen to you anyway. You don't notice Zart creep up behind you and shriek as he slides an ice cube down your neck.

You do an odd sort of wiggle dance, grabbing at the back of your shirt until the ice cube falls to the ground with a wet thud. “Oh, you’re gonna get it!” you threaten Zart, despite the smile on your face. The two of you were always playing silly pranks like that on one another during the slow hours. You’d just have to plan out your revenge and hit him when he least expected it. Zart leaned against the bar, face red with laughter, and you glanced over at Ben and Gally. Ben, of course, had joined in on Zart’s laughter, but Gally looked as though he wasn’t sure how to react.

You don't get a chance to ask because on of the hens come over for the next round. "What's up with you?" Ben eyes Gally carefully. He opens and closes his mouth before replying. "It's just, did she mean it? Or was she kidding? I dont..." He trails off as zart chuckles. "Listen up muscles, the whole tough guy thing? That's an act, mostly. For people she doesn't know or care about. She's actually very sweet. A real cutie actually but I'll deny it if you ever tell her I said it."

Gally raises an eyebrow and watches as you prepare a round of shots for the hen party. The girl you’re dealing with is half drunk, but you’re smiling anyway, complimenting her on her nail polish color choice and indulging in a little gossip that the hen clearly wants to share. A smile quirks at the side of Gally’s mouth. You’re beyond cute, and he’s amazed at how fast he’s falling for you. Ben snaps his fingers in front of Gally’s face. “Oi, earth to Galileo.”

"what?" He asks, mind elsewhere. Ben groans, rolling his eyes. "Nevermind lover boy." He glances at Zart who shakes his head good naturedly before going to help you with the order which was adding up as they all decided they wanted cocktails too. "Everything alright?" He asks, referring to the drinks. "I think so. It's just I only met the guy today. Is it weird? I really like him. I'm not used to this." You ramble on, it's been a long time since you were interested in anyone and you're nervous.

Zart lets out a chuckle. “You know, I was asking about the drinks,” he says, nodding down at the cocktails that you’ve just overfilled.

“Oh, shit,” you mutter, as Zart helps you sort things out and remake the drinks. “Sorry,” you grumble, you backs turned to Gally and Ben. “I’m just so flustered. I mean, like I said, I’ve only just met this guy and–”

“Look,” Zart interrupts. “I’m no love guru, but I’m pretty sure if that guy is friends with Benny, you’re fine. Let your crush take over your life like a normal girl would do. Where’s the harm? I can’t even remember the last time you showed interest in a guy- and we’ve worked together for three years.”

You grin at him, nodding as you take a deep breath to get control of yourself. "Right. You're right. Thanks Zart. " his words have calmed you down considerably, he must be a decent guy if he's friends with Benny. Glancing at his watch Zart smiles, "s'almost quittin time." He rings the bell for last orders creating a stampede at the bar. There's only an hour or so left, so you both step up your game, tossing the glasses and ice cubes to each other much to everyone's amusement.

 

After the final rush, you’re down to the last half hour of your shift, which you and Zart spend cleaning up the bar and rinsing dishes. The end of the night always goes by fast- it’s the time of the night where you’ve got a checklists of tasks that make the time fly. Before you know it, you and Zart are locking the doors, and Gally is standing on the sidewalk, his hands shoved into his pockets as he awkwardly waits. “See you later, Zart,” you call, waving over your shoulder before you stroll over to Gally.

"You ready?" "Yup." You grin at him. Falling into step, you follow him round to the car park. He shrugs almost apologetically when you reach his car. "It's not much but she works." "Hey, so long as she gets from A to B in one piece right?" You don't care enough about cars to judge. Besides, your own bike is in a state right now. Sliding into the car he smiles at you. "So where are we headed?" You tell him vaguely where you're headed and he pulls out of the car park.

Gally drives slowly, careful not to hit any of the drunken students or townies that sometimes wander into the street. “I don’t know how you deal with these guys sometimes,” Gally says with a smile. “I don’t think I’ve got the patience.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “It’s not too difficult- most of them are just funny, it’s only the rare few that end up being pains in my ass,” you explain. “And they’re the ones that make for the best stories. I mean, you wouldn’t be entertained if I told you I served a guy a drink and all he did was thank me and go back to his table, right?”

Gally laughs. "You make an excellent point." "seems to be that the best memories come from when things go wrong anyway."you add thoughtfully. "So what went wrong for us to end up here? Gally asks jokingly, stopping to let a group of students cross in front of him, which ends up taking much longer than expected. "You lost that bet." You offer, glancing over to him. "I didn't mean that it was just me things go wrong for." You wink at him for added measure

Gally laughs, nodding his head. “I suppose that’s true,” he agrees, grinning over at you while one last student struggled to make it without falling over. Once the kid had made it to the curb, Gally continued on, not sure exactly what to talk to you about. He had planned on preparing interesting topics to talk to you about at breakfast with Ben, but seeing as you had been the bartender, that plan hadn’t worked. “So. What’s your favorite color?” he asks sheepishly.

You groan, but only jokingly. “Have we really already resorted to cookie cutter questions?”

he rolls his eyes. "I never said I was the worlds greatest conservationist." You laugh at that, "Alright then. It's red. What's yours?" "Green." He replies automatically. "Good to know." You smile, feeling comfortable. "So are you still game for breakfast? I'm good for whatever but I know its kinda late." You trail off, hoping that he doesn't mind. "yeah of course. That's what coffees for right?" He winks at you which twists your stomach and you beam back at him.

You’re so busy smiling at Gally that you almost miss your stop, and he has to slam on the breaks. “Sorry,” you apologize. You’re blushing, feeling like he probably thinks you’re an idiot for not even knowing where your own apartment is.

But Gally just smiles. “It’s okay. I’m pretty distracting,” he says with mock seriousness. It’s not even that funny, but you find yourself laughing anyway. That’s how you know you’re in deep- when you find something that’s only somewhat funny to be laugh-out-loud funny.

Again, you're taken aback by how easy being with him is. You huff to yourself, calming down. Feeling brave in your tired state you wink at him. "I suppose you are." Gally just looks at you fondly, wondering how he'd ever managed to get someone like you to give him the time of day. When he doesn't say anything you change the subject, worried that it might've been too cringe-worthy. "So listen, thanks. Y'know for the ride home. It was good to see you tonight, even if I was working."

The car is idling outside your apartment, and you’re pretty sure now is the time when you’re supposed to get out of the car, but you really don’t want to. Tally shrugs. “No problem. I had a good time.” He’s running his hands nervously over the steering wheel. “Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow morning? Since your motorbike is still in the shop?” It’s technically already morning, but Gally ignores that fact, looking up at you

You glance down at your hands, subconsciously picking at your nails. The suggestion made the whole scenario different in your mind from when you first pictured it as you play it through. Then again, a lot had happened since then. You nod slowly, an easy smile stretching across your face. "That'd be great Gally." You tell him your apartment number for good measure. Just incase. "Same time?" You quiz, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Gally nods. “Sounds like a plan,” he says, then cringes because that sounds like a dumb thing to say. He feels like everything he says around you sounds dumb.

You reach over and touch his arm, squeezing it in parting. “Thank you, again,” you say with a smile. And finally you open the door, slipping out and standing on the sidewalk. You wave until you can’t see Gally’s car, and then you enter your building.

 


End file.
